Why bother with carboys and blow-off tubes?

[rhys333]

I've been using bucket fermentors since I started homebrewing beer, and I really appreciate the simplicity, flexibility, and low maintenance of this system. Open fermenting, yeast harvesting, and cleanup are all really easy to do. No need for blow-off tubes and carboy brushes, and I'm not worried about cutting my arm off if I drop a bucket. I use the translucent kind too, so I can see what's going on inside.

What's the attraction to glass carboys then? Doing what works for you is of course the main thing here. I'm just curious why many homebrewers choose to go with the carboy...

 

[poptarts]

Where do you get a translucent bucket in the USA big enough for 5 gallon batches?

 

[hunter_le five]

Literally dozens of threads on this subject.

In short: Carboys allow you to more easily watch fermentation activity, lower theoretical oxygen permeability, less prone to infection (theoretically), some people are worried about leaching chemicals from plastic, less headspace for secondary/long term storage, etc.

I've always been in the bucket camp myself though, but I can see the attraction of carboys.

 

[helibrewer]

For me it is easier to transfer from a carboy into a keg under low CO2 pressure. This way, the keg is flushed with CO2 and I push the beer with CO2,very little, if any, O2 exposure.

 

[kombat]

I have both and I prefer carboys, for many of the reasons hunter mentioned. In addition, I find them easier to clean (I just fill them to the brim with Oxyclean and leave them for a day or two, then rinse thoroughly), and I trust them more for temperature control. I use laundry tubs filled with water (i.e., swamp coolers) for my temperature control, and glass transmits heat much more readily than plastic. I'm always fearful that the plastic buckets are somehow "insulating" the wort, and potentially allowing a larger temperature differential to develop between the swamp cooler water bath temperature, and the temperature of the fermenting beer. With glass carboys, I feel the temperatures are more likely to be identical.

As much as I prefer carboys, I'm also always mindful of the risks. I always use a BrewHauler and/or thick leather work gloves when transporting full carboys (with the exception of removing them from the swamp cooler - that's the only weak spot in my process where I'm really scared of breaking one and cutting myself). When cleaning or moving empty carboys, I still use the leather gloves.

 

[grainbill]

It is how I started, referencing Joy of Homebrewing Since I now (past 20 yrs) have 8 glass carboys and 4 glass blow of tubes I don't see the need to change. Also, plastic scratches and needs to be replaced...

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

I love my bucket, I will usually do all primary fermentation in the bucket, I've only had 1 batch kreusen so much it blew off, which was probaby temperature control (lack of).

On the other hand, If I brew 3-4 weeks in a row, I don't always want to move something out of my bucket after only a week on primary. I'll use my 6 gallon plastic carboys for greater than 4-5 gallon recipes and with my basement sitting around 70F I don't usually have issues with blow off. For the 2 5-gallon plastic carboys I'll only do 3-3.5 gallon. I reserve 5 gallon glass carboy for secondary dry hopping, my IPA/Pale Ale experience has been reserved to less than 4 gallon batches.

I'd do primarys in plastic but, I just don't want to do primary in the glass, if it blows off and makes a big ass mess, I don't want to be handling slippery glass when I'm trying to rush and get something cleaned before it infects. I'm pretty damn careful and I am moving the glass, but I know with all things, if it can happen, it will happen. I have pretty damn good grip strength and I think I ahve a pretty good system for carrying the glass, but I just avoid using it if I can because I don't want it to break (I'm a huge cheap skate).

 

[jbaysurfer]

Sorry to answer a question with another question but...Why would someone with 494 posts start ANOTHER thread on this topic?

 

[rhys333]

Where do you get a translucent bucket in the USA big enough for 5 gallon batches?

I have an 8 gallon translucent bucket which i use for 6 gallon batches. The lid is designed for loose fit or lockdown. Works great. I got it in Canada, but it must be available in the US somewhere.

 

[rhys333]

Sorry to answer a question with another question but...Why would someone with 494 posts start ANOTHER thread on this topic?

Hey now

 

[Beernik]

No need for blow-off tubes...

Trust me, you can blow the lid off a bucket.

 

[hunter_le five]

Trust me, you can blow the lid off a bucket.

Word. WY3068. What a mess.... :cross:

 

[Beernik]

Word. WY3068. What a mess.... :cross:

I've done it twice. I don't remember what yeasts I used. But, man, is it a slimy mess to clean off of everything.

Heck, my last starter, a Kolsch yeast, needed a blowoff.

 

[rhys333]

Word. WY3068. What a mess.... :cross:

Well fingers crossed it won't happen. I use WY3068 and no issues there. My bucket is wider than tall, so that krausen has room to spread out. Closest I came to the lid was with Ringwood I believe, and it just barely touched in the middle of the lid. Must've been a good 5-6 inches tall.

 

[hunter_le five]

Well fingers crossed it won't happen. I use WY3068 and no issues there. My bucket is wider than tall, so that krausen has room to spread out. Closest I came to the lid was with Ringwood I believe, and it just barely touched in the middle of the lid. Must've been a good 5-6 inches tall.

Well in 3068's defense, I let the fermentation temp on that one get a bit too warm (mid 70s). That was before I got the temp control part of my process nailed down. Airlock clogged up and the lid shot off like a rocket, spraying krausen everywhere. :rockin:

 

[rhys333]

Where do you get a translucent bucket in the USA big enough for 5 gallon batches?

Here you go my friend:
http://www.mainbrew.com/Brewcraft-8-Gallon-Plastic-Fermenter-and-Lid-Prodview.html

 

[passedpawn]

I've never fermented in a bucket. I wouldn't mind if it was clear. I don't watch my beers ferment any more, but I do peek at them a couple of times in the early parts of fermentation to see if the krausen is threatening the airlock.

I use better bottles. I have 6 of them.

 

[kh54s10]

I too have seen the pictures of the mess when a bucket lid blows off. I use a blow off even with buckets (always). I have had some blow off from a bucket.

I prefer my Better Bottles and find them even easier to clean than my buckets.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Hey now

Hey now. Don't dream it's over?

 

[gunmetal]

I had 6 glass carboys, and I always handled them carefully. I had several in my garage and one broke somehow. No beer was involved. I think my son hit it with the push mower. What surprised me was how thin some of the glass on the side walls is. I thought most of it was 3/16" or even a 1/4". Some of the shards were only slightly larger than 1/8". I think I will be more careful when setting the carboy on edge into my fermentation chamber. I am sure the rim around the bottom is much thicker, kind of like a beer bottle.

 

[fuelish]

I'm fine with buckets for meads (for primary....I always secondary and bulk age in glass), but prefer to primary beer in a carboy with a proper big fat blowoff tube shoved in the mouth and run to a big container Starsan solution......cannot imagine the tube ever clogging, and watching beer in the earlier stages of fermenting still fascinates me....mead's a lot more subdued (boring) in that aspect....although I make a lot more mead than I brew beer anymore

 

[j1n]

i think the only real application for a glass carboy is a very long secondary or aging the beer. But you could also use a keg for that, which would be safer, light proof, and can manually purge the head space with co2. Other than that, plastic is a much better option due to it being much safer.

now that i think about it, there really is no need to be using glass carboys.

 

[rhys333]

i think the only real application for a glass carboy is a very long secondary or aging the beer. But you could also use a keg for that, which would be safer, light proof, and can manually purge the head space with co2. Other than that, plastic is a much better option due to it being much safer.

now that i think about it, there really is no need to be using glass carboys.

I agree - glass for aging and plastic bucket for my standard batches with 2-3 week turn-around. The only downside I've really thought about, one of the points raised by others, is contact time with plastic and leaching of who knows what. But is there anything credible backing this up? When I think about it, a high percentage of foods are stored in food grade plastic. Way I look at it, if I'm going to worry about my beer in contact with plastic, then I also need to worry about groceries (yogurt, milk, margarine, juice, you name it), plus bulk stored restaurant food and many other products bulk packed in plastic before hitting the shelves.

 

[hunter_le five]

The only downside I've really thought about, one of the points raised by others, is contact time with plastic and leaching of who knows what. But is there anything credible backing this up?

No. There's been plenty of research on the subject, and no reason to think there's anything unsafe about it. If there was any legitimate concern, I don't think most of us would continue to use it.

When I think about it, a high percentage of foods are stored in food grade plastic.

"Food grade". Key words. That's why we use it. It's specifically designed NOT to leach horrible $#!t into out food/drink.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[kombat]

if I'm going to worry about my beer in contact with plastic, then I also need to worry about groceries (yogurt, milk, margarine, juice, you name it), plus bulk stored restaurant food and many other products bulk packed in plastic before hitting the shelves.

pH matters.

 

[flugelizor]

I have always brewed in carboys.
I think it's cleaner, when you pick it up it doesn't suck air, I like using a stick on thermometer. It seems obviously "better" to me.

The seal is a ***** on a bucket.
How do you monitor temp in a bucket?

 

[rhys333]

I have always brewed in carboys.
I think it's cleaner, when you pick it up it doesn't suck air, I like using a stick on thermometer. It seems obviously "better" to me.

The seal is a ***** on a bucket.
How do you monitor temp in a bucket?

My bucket seals really well, so i haven't had any issues there. I do wonder about temp accuracy though. I use the stick-on thermometer strips. I should do a actual temp comparison to see how close it is, but I hear from others they're within a degree or two. Sooner or later I'll upgrade to a probe of some sort.

 

[Beernik]

I tape a probe to to side of my bucket and cover it with a many times folded paper towel for insulation against my freezer temp.

I do the same for glass carboys, but it's a less accurate measure because glass is an insulator.

 

[day_trippr]

I tape a probe to to side of my bucket and cover it with a many times folded paper towel for insulation against my freezer temp.

I do the same for glass carboys, but it's a less accurate measure because glass is an insulator.

Glass is actually a mega-crappy insulator. Hence it can be made into cookware.

Seen anything like those in plastic?

Cheers!

 

[jwelch1103]

I tape a probe to to side of my bucket and cover it with a many times folded paper towel for insulation against my freezer temp.

I do the same for glass carboys, but it's a less accurate measure because glass is an insulator.

Glass electrically insulates well, but its thermal conductivity (Glass 1.05 W/(m.K)) is al least double that of high density polyethylene's thermal conductivity (HDPE 0.42-0.51 W/(m.K)). (http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html)

 

[Beernik]

Glass is not a good conductor of heat. The reason you can cook with glassware is because it is thin. The reason you can grab the glass handle on the pot while it's on the burner is because glass is a poor conductor if heat.

A glass carboy is not as thin as a Pyrex pan. And a plastic bucket is a lot thinner than a Pyrex pan or a glass carboy.

Your argument would work it we were talking about 1/2" thick wall of plastic vs a 1/2" thick wall of glass. Instead we are talking about a 1/16" plastic wall vs a 1/2" thick glass wall.

 

[cooldood]

Literally dozens of threads on this subject.

In short: Carboys allow you to more easily watch fermentation activity, lower theoretical oxygen permeability, less prone to infection (theoretically), some people are worried about leaching chemicals from plastic, less headspace for secondary/long term storage, etc.

I've always been in the bucket camp myself though, but I can see the attraction of carboys.

I always find that interesting. I wonder if anyone ever worries about lead leaching from glass carboys?

 

[raouliii]

Glass is not a good conductor of heat. .....

True, but brewing bucket plastic is even worse.

.....its thermal conductivity (Glass 1.05 W/(m.K)) is al least double that of high density polyethylene's thermal conductivity (HDPE 0.42-0.51 W/(m.K)). (http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html)

FWIW, I use glass for fermentation because it's hard to scratch and therefore, easy to clean and sanitize.

 

[cooldood]

not sure but I think that is more perception than reality
especially if it is FDA approved. I am willing to bet the cheap foreign carboys are not FDA approved

 

[Beernik]

True, but brewing bucket plastic is even worse.

Measure the thickness of a plastic bucket and measure the thickness of a glass carboy. I guarantee you the glass carboy is at least 8 times as thick.

 

[rhys333]

Glass electrically insulates well, but its thermal conductivity (Glass 1.05 W/(m.K)) is al least double that of high density polyethylene's thermal conductivity (HDPE 0.42-0.51 W/(m.K)). (http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html)

This is true, though calculations factor in thickness as well. I estimate my bucket is at least half thickness of my carboy, which puts them about the same I would think.

 

[divrguy]

Here you go my friend:
http://www.mainbrew.com/Brewcraft-8-Gallon-Plastic-Fermenter-and-Lid-Prodview.html

Thats not see through?

 

[rhys333]

Thats not see through?

It doesn't look to be in the picture, but it is... at least the one I have is, which is identical in shape. Its translucent enough you can see the tiniest particles swirling around during active fermentation.

 

[rhys333]

Thats not see through?

This should help as a visual

 

[raouliii]

not sure but I think that is more perception than reality
especially if it is FDA approved. I am willing to bet the cheap foreign carboys are not FDA approved

If that is in response to my contention that glass is easier to clean and sanitize, I beg to differ. Plastic is FAR easier to scratch than glass and it is a well accepted belief in the food industry that scratches in plastic are very difficult to clean and sanitize.